Anticapacity switch



Oct. 27, 1931. C, BOHNER ET AL 1,829,336

ANTICAPACITY SWITCH Filed Feb. 21, 1950 4 INVENTORS Chance E Bohner. Arthur M Fogner:

ATTORNEY Fig. 2.

Patented Oct. 27, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHAN CE E. BURNER, OF EAST ORANGE, AND ARTHUR M. TROGNER, OF MAPLEWOOI),

NE? JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO WIRED RADIO, IN (1., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA- TION OF DELAWARE ANTICAPAGITY SWITCH Application filed February 21, 1930. Serial No. 439,189.

Our invention pertains in general to switches. and specifically relates to switches having small capacitance which are commonly known as anti-capacity switches.

One of the ob3ects of our invention consists in providing a compact and electrically eificient device for connecting and interconnecting a multiplicity of electrical circuits.

Another object of our invention comprises, producing a switch of extremely small capacitance which will not materially disturb the capacitance constants of an electrical circuit into which it is introduced.

Another object consists in providing a switch in which. the elements are arranged in a manner such that air serves largely as a means of dielectric insulation, thereby reducing capacitance leakage to a minimum.

We accomplish the above desirable features in a novel anti-capacity switch in which a plurality of air spaced sectors are arranged to contact with a plurality of air spaced contact terminals.

In the drawings accompanying and form-- ing a part of this specification, and in which like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of an anti-capacity switch comprising one embodiment of our invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View along the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the electrical elements of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a View corresponding to Fig. 4 but showing the movable electrical elements in a different relative position.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly to Fig. 3, a group of contact terminals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. are radially disposed about a circular insulating mounting member 7 and are secured thereto by screws 8. These contact terminals are made of a resilient conducting metal. such as phosphorous bronze, and are bent up, away from the mounting member 7, as shown in A hemispherical contact 16 is secured to the bent up portion of each of these contact terminals. It will be noted that there is an air space between a considerable area of these contact terminals and the mounting member 7 to which. they are secured.

The mounting member 7, .in Fig. 2 is composed of an insulating material, such as a phenol condensation product, A counterbored hole is provided in the center of this mounting member through which a pivot member extends. A shoulder 12 of the pivot member 10 provides a bearing against the top of the mounting member 7, while the bottom of the pivot member 10 is peened'over the counterbore to rigidly secure the said pivot member to the mounting member 7.

' Another circular mounting member 9, composed of an insulating material, is positioned directly above the mounting member 7 and is mounted to rotate upon the pivot member 10. In Fig. 1, a handle 11, integral with the mounting member 9, is provided for the purpose of moving the said mounting member in rotation about the pivot member 10. Two contacting sectors 13 and 14, composed of a conducting material such as brass, are positioned below the mounting member 9 and are secured thereto by means of riveted spacers which, being of small cross-sectional area, provide a large air space between the sectors 14 and 13 and the mounting member 9. The mounting member 9 is positioned upon the pivot member 10 in a manner such that the contacting sectors 13 and 14 engage with the contact terminals 6 and 5, and 2 and 3, respectively. The pivot member 10 is peened over the top of the mounting member 9 so as to retain the mounting member 9 in a manner such that the contacting sectors, mounted thereon, will continually depress any of the contacting terminals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 with which they come into engagement. Movement of the handle 11 will cause the mounting member 9 to rotate about the pivot member 10, thereby causing the contacting sectors 13 and 14 to engage with contacting terminals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 in rotation.

The contacting sector-and associated contact terminals are schematically shown in Fig. 4 in a relative position corresponding to Fig. 1. Contacting sectors 13 and 14 electrically connect the contact terminals 5 and 6, and 2 and 3, respectively. Rotation of the contacting sectors 13 and 14 sixty degrees in a clockwise direction will bring the contacting sectors 13 and 14 into engagement with the contact terminals 1 and 6, and 3 and 4, as shown in Fig. 5. It is evident that the contacting sectors 13 and 14 can be continually or intermittently rotated so as to successively connect the contact terminals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 in pairs. However, our switch will find an especial use as a multi-pole double-throw switch of extremely low capacitance. To serve in such a manner, the present embodiment of our switch can be considered to correspond to an ordinary double-pole doublethrow knife switch. lVhen the contacting sectors 13 and 14 are in a position as shown in Fig. 4, the terminals 6 and 3 will be electrically connected to the contact terminals 5 and 2, respectively. Movement of the sectors 13 and 14 into a position such as shown in Fig. 5 will then cause the contact terminals 6 and 3 to be electrically connected to the contact terminals 1 and 4, respectively, thereby accomplishing the purpose of the double-pole double-throw switch referred to. However, contacting sectors and contact terminals can be provided for any preferred electrical arrangement without departing from the scope of our invention.

The arrangement of the contacting sectors and contact terminals of our switch in substantially a horizontal plane, avoids parallel capacitance such as is present between the blades of an ordinary knife switch. Capacitance leakage is reduced to a minimum by providing, as far as possible, an air dielectric between electrical elements and their respective mounting members. Our switch is therefore especially adapted for employment in electrical organizations Where extraneous capacitance efi'ects must be kept at a minimum. An example of such use would be the incorporation of such a switch in an adapter to be interposed between an electron discharge tube andsupporting socket therefor of a radio receiving system of certain capacitance constants. Our switch, combined with such an adapter could be interposed in the detector tube circuit of such an electrical organization without materially disturbing the capacitance constants.

While in the description of our invention we have referred to certain details of mechanical construction and arrangement of parts, we do not limit ourselves thereto, except as may be pointed out in the appended claims.

Having-thus described the invention, what we claim as new and original and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: i

1. An anti-capacity switch comprising, a mounting member, a plurality of contact terminals mounted thereon, each of said contact terminals comprising a flat metallic member having an ofi-set portion extending away from said mounting member, a second mounting member, a plurality of contacting sectors mounted thereon, said contacting sectors being disposed'between and in a plane parallel with said mounting members, spacing memhers interposed between the said contacting sectors and the said second mounting member, said spacing members having. a total cross sectional area substantially less than the area of said sectors, and means for moving the said contacting sectors with reference to the said contact terminals.

2. An anti-capacity switch comprising, a mounting member, a plurality of contact terminals mounted thereon, each of said contact terminals comprising a flat metallic memher having an off-set portion extending away from said mounting member, a movable mounting member, a plurality of contacting sectors mounted upon the said movable mounting member and positioned adjacent to the off-set portions of said contact terminals, and spacing members interposed between the said contacting sectors and the said movable mounting member.

3. An anti-capacity switch comprising, an insulating mounting member, a plurality of contact terminals mounted thereon, each of said contact terminals comprising a flat metallic member having an oii-set portion extending away from said mounting member, a movable mounting member, two contacting sectors mounted upon the said movable mounting member, said contacting sectors being disposed between and in a plane par- ,allel with said mounting members, and spacing members interposed between the said contacting sectors and the said movable mounting member.

4. An anti-capacity switch comprising, an insulating mounting member, a plurality of contact terminals mounted thereon and disposed about a common center, each of said contact terminals comprising a flat resilient metal member having an oft-set portion extending away from said mounting member, a movable mounting member adapted to be rotated about the said common center, contacting sectors mounted upon the said mounting member and positioned adjacent to the oft-set portions of said terminals, said contacting sectors being disposed between and in a plane parallel with said mounting members, and spacing members interposed between the said contacting sectors and the said movable mounting sector, said spacing members having a total cross sectional area substantially less than the area of said sectors.

CHANCE E. BOHNER. ARTHUR M. TROGNER 

